Kidnapping convictions in Rhode Island are generally NOT eligible for expungement. Kidnapping is classified as a crime of violence under Rhode Island law, and crimes of violence are categorically excluded from the expungement framework. The Attorney General would object to any expungement petition for a kidnapping conviction, and the petition would almost certainly be denied. The only paths to clearing a kidnapping conviction from your record are dismissal before conviction, acquittal at trial, or executive clemency through the Governor. This is one of the most important reasons to fight a kidnapping charge aggressively at the trial stage rather than accepting a plea.
